Myers hopes to be a power boost for Reds

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Wil Myers expects to hit more home runs -- and maybe even reach 30 again -- in his first year with the Reds. He has come to the right place.

Great American Ball Park remains one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the National League. While no slugger has flown a ball into the Ohio River quite yet -- Adam Dunn did it on one bounce, remember -- there are plenty of other inviting landing spots beyond the outfield fence for a right-handed hitter like Myers.

Brandon Drury found them in his one partial season with the Reds a year ago, hitting 12 of his 20 home runs at home prior to his trade to San Diego. Myers, who signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract as a free agent, believes he is capable of generating numbers that compare to his best seasons in San Diego.

“I still think there is more in me and in my career and in what I can do,” said Myers, 32, who has 153 homers and 105 stolen bases in his 10-year career, the last eight with the Padres.

"I want to come here with a good team and a good place to hit and see what I can do," he said.

It's a veteran’s mindset, one that resonates with Myers' new teammate Joey Votto.

“My career is built off of that,” Votto said. “Most players that’s the case. You have to ask more of yourself, and that’s what we are talking about.”

Myers has not set specific numerical goals entering the season, for a simple reason. Too many factors, injuries foremost among them, can render such expectations moot. And he would know: Myers was limited to 286 plate appearances last season because of thumb, knee and neck injuries.

It's more about approach and state of mind for him.

“I just want to go out there and execute my plan on a daily basis,” Myers said. “I think that is one thing I have lacked in the past at times, when I’ve really gotten into thinking about my swing and thinking about ways to fix things instead of going back to what works.

• Reds turn to these 'veterans' for next step

“If I can do that, I will definitely put up what I am capable of putting up," he added. "I don’t necessarily know what that is. I’ve hit 30 homers in the past, I’d like to maybe do that again.”

He'll certainly try. Myers tinkered with a new stance in the offseason, altering his hand placement and standing a little more upright.

One of his goals is to get his OPS above .800. He had a career-high .959 OPS in the pandemic-shortened 2020, and his career tally stands at .771 now. One way to improve that stat would be for Myers to draw more walks. Another would be to get more extra-base hits.

“I’d rather have the homers than the walks, to be honest,” Myers said. “Maybe analytics guys wouldn’t be in for that, but I like the power numbers. A big part of today’s game is being able to hit the ball out of the ballpark. I think there is a ton of value in that. A lot of the old-school baseball players might not agree, but [extra-base hits] are things I would like to increase. Obviously plate discipline is important, but I am definitely looking for some more power numbers.”

The game has skewed that direction.

"It is hard to put together three backside ground balls to score on these elite pitchers,” Myers said. “Doubles and homers are the way you score runs. It’s too difficult with these guys throwing 100 miles an hour with breaking stuff like that to manufacture three or four hits in an inning.”

Myers was the American League Rookie of the Year with Tampa Bay in 2013, and had his best statistical seasons in 2016-17, when he started at first base for the Padres. He hit 28 homers, tallied 94 RBIs and 29 stolen bases in 2016, following that up a year later with 30 homers, 74 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.

“Our division is nice and friendly for his style of hitting,” Votto said. “In the [NL] Central, a lot of the right fields are shorter, and there are lots of opportunities to use that opposite field power that [Myers] has.”

Myers is projected to play right field with the Reds but has spent time working at first base early in camp with Votto, who is recovering from an Aug. 12 surgery on his left rotator cuff and biceps. Myers welcomes the chance to be in proximity to Votto and his .926 career OPS.

“You just sit back, and when he decides to talk about hitting you sit there and listen, because he’s definitely got a good idea about it,” Myers said.

Reds manager David Bell knows that a change of scenery could have a positive effect on a player like Myers.

“It can be rejuvenating,” Bell said. “New environment, new team, new ballpark. Sometimes you settle in somewhere and just feel at home.”

Around the horn
The Reds claimed left-hander Bennett Sousa off waivers from the Chicago White Sox, placing Vladimir Gutierrez on the 60-day injured list to clear a roster spot. Gutierrez underwent Tommy John surgery last July.

Sousa was 3-0 with an 8.41 ERA in 25 relief appearances for Chicago last season and was designated for assignment when the White Sox acquired Elvis Andrus last week.